The year is 2053. The following is the entry for the 2003 BMW Z4 in the New York Museum of Modern Art’s catalog for its Design and, Technology: Early 21^st Century Sporting Vehicle Design exhibition:

“The Z4 is the most unashamed expression of former BMW design chief Chris Bangle’s ‘flame surfacing.’ The so-called ‘Bangle’s Angles’ intersect in such a way that concave turns convex, and then juxtaposes with subdued shapes and surfaces. This gives the design a dynamic tension that is apparent to viewers whether the car is moving or standing still, and which reinforces the sporty nature of the vehicle and the brand. By breaking the then-prevailing design mold, it set BMW apart from its many imitators – increasing the gap between their offerings and the ‘real thing’ – and let the company’s focus on technology infiltrate the lineup without having to do battle with expectations raised by traditional design cues.

“The same holds true for the interior. The dominant theme is of upper and lower arcs – each inverted so the volume increases as they reach their midpoint – that end in vertical lines, not points. These shapes are used both for the instrument panel face and the door panels. The former is covered in a grained aluminum skin also found on the center console. In low-light conditions (e.g. early mornings or evenings with the top down), the effect is soothing and somewhat avant-garde. But it’s under harsher lighting that the aluminum stands in stark contrast to the materials around it, and highlights the zigzag pattern that follows the outline of the gauge pack’s lower surfaces. Could not a more pleasing cut have been found in so design-driven a vehicle?

“Stranger still is the gauge cluster, which looks like it belongs in Alfa’s old-style Spider (as driven by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate). And the ‘Business CD’ player has everyone confused because it plays music, but won’t launch into an extemporaneous reading of Jack: Straight From the Gut or other books about fading business ‘giant’ Jack Welch. Archivists also note it is impossible to read the audio system’s digital display – it defaults to a clock, the only one in the vehicle – with the top down on a sunny day, suggesting a link between this and selling timepieces from BMW’s Lifestyle line of clothing and accessories. The less cynical say it is an oversight – no pun intended – arising from the need to commonize components and systems across car lines.

“The car’s reflection of its era is amplified by its interior trappings. Cup holders are found at either end of the instrument panel near the outboard vents, and feature a folding lower support and ratcheting arm that hold various cup shapes and sizes in place. While large enough for a Starbuck’s Venti Double Mocha Latte (available in the lobby concession area, $50.95), the cup holder’s lower leg supports only one side of the cup; allowing it to tip precariously toward the driver’s or passenger’s leg. The ratcheting arm does little to hold the container against the cornering loads of which the Z4 is capable. Yet, the car has a small, nearly square recess in the center console near the driver’s elbow that is perfect for the small cell phones that were popular before the implantation of FDA/FCC-approved telephonic chips began in 2010.

“The model on display is equipped with the optional $2,900 Premium Package (fully automatic power soft top, power seats w/driver seat memory, cruise control, leather upholstery, brushed aluminum trim), $1,500 Sport Package (Dynamic Driving Control, 17-in. alloy wheels, fog lamps, heated outside mirrors, heated windshield washer jets, sport suspension), $500 Bi-xenon headlights, and $875 Premium Sound System w/DSP. Testing has shown the top is without peer, raising and lowering into place with no outside intervention save the push of a button. This keeps the romance of a soft top without fighting to lock and unlock the top from the windshield header. Many historians suggest it alone is worth the $2,900 Premium Package price.

“The historians are less generous in their assessment of the Sport Package. Beyond the apparent oxymoron of having a ‘Sport’ button in what is obviously a sports car, its functional attributes are interesting, to say the least. Depressing the button ‘accelerates’ throttle response noticeably, reduces power steering boost, and quickens the clutch and shift action. Selecting this option on the move makes for an embarrassing lurch as the vehicle and driver respond to the changes. Why this option isn’t the default setting, or part of a package that determines the driver’s mood and adjusts, is unknown. But it spotlights the fascination BMW had with overt electronic technology during this period. As can be seen through historical reflection, this technology was a response to the short-lived Internet bubble of the late 1990s,and based on extrapolations of what future buyers might want, but not necessarily need. (See our exhibit, Segway: Edsel On Two Wheels?, in the Michael Bloomberg wing for more examples of this trend.)

“As a work of art, the BMW Z4 brought a fresh look to a market struggling to define itself in non-retro terms. A direct descendant of vehicles like the Austin Healy 3000 of the early 1960s, the Z4 attempts to infuse a dynamic construct over classic forms. Best seen in darker colors, which accents the visceral shape while softening the more jarring elements of its angular skin, this vehicle polarizes its audience with its avant-garde design and electronic technology. In many ways, it was a turning point for BMW.”